An Oregon Democrat is seeking a hike in Medicaid funding to help finance unarmed response teams that would replace police officers in some instances, according to a report.
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, says a decades-old program in Eugene called CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets) would be more effective on mental health-related calls than conventional police departments, OregonLive.com reported.
According to Wyden’s office, the CAHOOTS proposal “takes best practices from Oregon and encourages other states to adopt them through increased Medicaid funding,” the news outlet reported.
The estimated dollar amount for implementing the proposed program was not clear.
It also wasn’t clear whether CAHOOTS would differ from similarly aimed programs that have been emerging since President Trump issued his Safe Policing for Safe Communities executive order, an alternative to defunding the police.
Dallas and Denver are among the cities with programs that align with the president’s order, Fox News reported in July. – READ MORE
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